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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bound — certain
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bulb — for light
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to click
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bound — obliged
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stock — shares
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com